Towards the application of electrokinetic remediation for nuclear site decommissioning

Contamination encountered on nuclear sites includes radionuclides as well as a range of non-radioactive co-contaminants, often in low-permeability substrates such as concretes or clays. However, many commercial remediation techniques are ineffective in these substrates. By contrast, electrokinetic remediation (EKR), where an electric current is applied to remove contaminants from the treated media, retains high removal efficiencies in low permeability substrates. Here, we evaluate recent developments in EKR for the removal of radionuclides in contaminated substrates, including caesium, uranium and others, and the current benefits and limitations of this technology. Further, we assess the present state of EKR for nuclear site applications using real-world examples, and outline key areas for future application.

Electrokinetic remediation, Nuclear decommissioning, Radioactive contamination, Sustainable remediation

10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.125274

0304-3894

Purkis, Jamie M.

17c76efb-2aa2-429e-92b3-5a21de7b02a5

Warwick, Phillip

f2675d83-eee2-40c5-b53d-fbe437f401ef

Graham, James

d2b35a13-921b-4561-944c-372b3e2fdd89

Hemming, Shaun Daniel

e64b1983-cecb-4cce-9b64-23219c648ab4

Cundy, Andy

994fdc96-2dce-40f4-b74b-dc638286eb08

5 July 2021

Purkis, Jamie M.

17c76efb-2aa2-429e-92b3-5a21de7b02a5

Warwick, Phillip

f2675d83-eee2-40c5-b53d-fbe437f401ef

Graham, James

d2b35a13-921b-4561-944c-372b3e2fdd89

Hemming, Shaun Daniel

e64b1983-cecb-4cce-9b64-23219c648ab4

Cundy, Andy

994fdc96-2dce-40f4-b74b-dc638286eb08

Purkis, Jamie M., Warwick, Phillip, Graham, James, Hemming, Shaun Daniel and Cundy, Andy (2021) Towards the application of electrokinetic remediation for nuclear site decommissioning. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 413, [125274]. (doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.125274).

Record type: Review

Abstract

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EKR Part 1 Review Revised v4 withouth highlights - Accepted Manuscript

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Accepted/In Press date: 27 January 2021

e-pub ahead of print date: 1 February 2021

Published date: 5 July 2021

Additional Information: Funding Information: The authors acknowledge funding from the TRANSCEND (TRANsformative SCience and Engineering for Nuclear Decommissioning) consortium (EPSRC grant number EP/S01019X/1 ), as well as the original authors of reports examining EKR at the Sellafield site under BNFL, Nexia Solutions, and the NNL and NDA. PW and AC acknowledge support from the EPSRC / National Nuclear User Facility Phase 2 programme ( EP/T011548/1 , NNUF-EXACT ). The authors further thank the NDA, NNL and predecessors for kindly providing access to these reports. For redrawing and adapting many of the figures in this paper from their original source, the authors also thank Mrs. Kate Davis (National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, UK). Publisher Copyright: © 2021 Elsevier B.V. Copyright: Copyright 2021 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.

Keywords: Electrokinetic remediation, Nuclear decommissioning, Radioactive contamination, Sustainable remediation

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